boxley



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. BOXLEY.

`PLAITING'r MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 22, Vm32.

WHA/5555:

. UNITED Sterns GEORGE BOXLEY, OF TROY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO atar anice.

GEORGE P. IDE, OF SAME PLACE.

PLAlTiNe-MACHINE.

LSIITECIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 263,014, dated August 22, 1882.

Application filed March 20, 1882. (No model.) A

To all/whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE BOXLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, in the county of-Itensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plaiting-Machines, of' which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to apparatus or mechlanism for plaitin g blanks for shirt-bosoms and similar articles; and the general object of my improvements is to produce mechanism by which a person can easily plait such blanks accurately and with greater rapidity and less expense than heretofore. I attain that object by the mechanism illustrated in the aforesaid drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of a machine for plaiting blanks for shirt-bosoms, viewed from above, a part being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a plan of the upper portion of the same machine viewed from below, some parts being represented in section and some removed. Fig. 3 is a partial section at the line z .e in Fig. 1. Fig. 4t is an elevation of a section at about the line y y' y2 ya in Figs. 1 and 2, viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow cc. Figs. 5 and' are partial sections of the plaiting devices ofthe same machine on a larger scale and illustrating their action in forming a boxplait such as is shown in Fig. 7. Figs.,8 and 9 are partial sections, illustrating the action of the plaiting devices in forming a plain plait, represented in Fig. l0. Fig. 1I is a sectional elevation of the plait-former, and Fig. 12 a section of the plait-bed of the machine illustrated by Figs. l, 2, and 4.

Similar parts are marked by like letters in thedifferent iigures, and thedirections in'vvhich` some ofthe parts move are indicated by adjacent arrows.

A is a stationary fram-e supporting the other i parts.

bed in Figs. 5, 6, 8, and 9, and removed fromA 5o the bed in Figs. 4t and 11. The former has.

`is a plaiting-blade adapted and arranged for the portion l), which presses the fabric against the bed, in the shape of a thin plate havinga lengthwise blade-like edge, c, or Vtwo such edges, c c', opposite to each other, as shown in Fig. 1l. The said former also hasa narrow tapering longitudinal recess, d, or two such recesses, d d', formed by and between the pressing-plate b and the overhang-ing partc or parts e c of the former.

D is a plaiting-blade adapted and arranged for folding the fabric W over and against the blade-edge c of the former and for folding and forcing the fabric into the recess d in the former, 'as indicated in Figs. 6 and 9; and D 6 folding the fabric over the blade-edge c and s into the recess d' of said former, as shown in Fig. G, the fabric W being iirst placed on the bed VB and pressed thereon by the formerO, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 8.

To facilitate 'the iilaiting of fabrics that are thick, sti, or diflicult to fold, I furnish the bed-plate B with the,stationary low ledge E or ledges E E', Figs. 1 and 12, parallel to and a little apart from the edge c or edges c c of the former when depressed upon the bed-plate, so that the fabric will be somewhat bent upward by and between said ledge or ledges and edge or edges, respectively,when the former O shall be pressed upon the fabric on the bed, as illustrated in Fig. 5. In plaitin-g bosom blanks or fabrics that are easy to fold over a bladelike or sharp edge the ledge E or ledges E E can be dispensed with, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

. To provide means whereby a person can easily and repeatedly depress the former G into exactly the same position upon the bed B and remove the same from the bed, I secure said former to an arm, F, which is hinged or'piv- 9c oted at ff to the frame A, and connect the arm F to a treadle, Gr, by a rod, H, that is furnished with a spring, I, Fig. 4, so that by depressing the treadle the springI is compressed and the former O is pressed -upon the bed or fabric on the bed, and that by releasing the treadle the spring will elevate the treadle and the arm F with the former, as shown in Fig. 4.

To provide means whereby a person can directly by hand accurately force the blades I) :too

2 i essere D', or either of them,in to and out ofthe tapering recesses d. d', respectively, and thereby plait the fabric when the former C is pressed upon the fabric on the bed, 4I secure each plaiting-blade to a slide or slides, J, Figs. 1, 3, and 4, fitting suitable stationary ways, ,f/ g', on the frame.

To provide means whereby a person can instantly apply power from a rotating pulley, wheel, or shaft to force the plaiting-blades D 1)', or either ot them, into and out of the corresponding recess or recesses, d d', in the former C, and thereby plait thefabric when said 'former is pressed upon the fabric on the bed, I furnish each ofthe slides J, that carry the blades D D', with a follower, h, Fig. 4, which engages with a separate grooved cam, K or K', Figs. 2 and 4, fast on a rotary shaft, Il or L', having a bevel-gear, M or M', engaging with a bevelgear, N or N', fast on a'shaft, O, having a sliding friction-clutch pulley, P, Fig. 1, which can be instantly engaged with and disengaged from the rotating driving-pulley Q by a. hand-lever, lt, to which a retracting-spring, S, Fig. 2, is connected by a rod, S', to assist in disengaging the clutch-pulley P from said driving-pulley. The pairs of cams K K and K' K' are similar, and are geared to rotate simultaneously iu equal times, and are arranged to move the two pairs of slides J J and the plaiting-blades D D' a certain uniform distance to and fro into and out ot' the corresponding reeesses, d d', in the former C, when the latter is depressed upon the fabric on the bed. In Figs. 2 and 4 the cams K K' are represented as holding the blades D D' away from the former, as shown in Figs. l and 4.

To provide means for altering the depths of theuniform to-and-fro movements ot' the blades D D' into the corresponding recesses, d d', in the former C, to make different widths ot' the parts w w, Figs. 7 and l0, in the plaits, each blade is adjustably secured to the slide J by screw-bolts z', Figs. 1, 3, and 4, extending' through perforations in the blades, and having screw-nuts) and heads k fitting in and adjustable along recessed grooves Z, Fig. 3, in the slides, or by having the screw-bolts stationary on the slides and extending` through slots in the blades, as indicated by dotted lines at m in Fig. 1.

J' J', Fig. 1, are slides with screw-bolts t",

similar to the slides J, and operated by ca1nsK2,

Fig. 2, that are like the cams K K', and are secured to and operated by the shaft 0; and the slides J' can have plaiting-blades or folders secured thereto by the screw-bolts i', for use in plaiting or folding inthe ends of bosomblanks or other articles ot' cloth when pressed on the bed B by a suitable former.

V V, Fig. 4, represent Bunsen burners for moderately heating the bed-plate B by the combustion ot' a mixture of gas or hydrocarbon vapor and air, to increase the stability of the plaits formed by the apparatus in slightlydamp fabrics.

For convenience in constructing the former tl and in changing its press-plate b for others of diiferent widths to produce box-plaits ot' corresponding various breadths, thepart b is made separate from the other portion and secured thereto by screws u, Fig. 11, or by other suitable means.

For convenience in applying and securing the ledges E E' to the bed B,aud in arranging them to tit the press-plates b of different widths and forms, I commonly make each ledge or both ledges on aplate, T, and secure the same to the bed by removable screws 0, and have a separate plate T for each different width and form of press-plate b.

For convenience in securing and adjusting various sizes ot' the former O on the arm F, and in respect to the ledges E E' or to the plaitingblades D 1)',or either of them, I mount thev former on the arm by means of extension-iingers U, Figs. l and 4, which are adjustably secured at one end part to the arm by screw-bolts p, Fig. 4, extending through slots q in the lingers and perfbrationsin the arms, and furnished with clamping-nuts r, and which fingers are adjustably secured at their other end parts to the former C by screws s, extending from the former through slots q' in the fingers, and having clamping-nuts t; but any other suitable or equivalent means can 4be used for adjustably securing the ngers U to'said arm and former.

In using the mechanism illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, and 4, a person first places the blank fabric V in proper position upon the bed B when the former C is elevated, as in Fig. 4, and the blades D D' are drawn back from the bed and ledges E E', as in Figs. 4 and l. The person nextdepresses the treadle G, and thus, through the rod H and arm F, depresses and retains the former upon the bed, as indicated in Figs. 5 and S. Then the person, by moving the lever R, engages the clutch-pulley l) with the revolving pulley Q, which then rotates the cams K K', which in one revolution move the blades D D', so as to cause the blades to first force the fabric into the recesses d d' in the depressed fornier, as indicated in Fig. G, and then retain the fabric in therecesses,while the followers h are in the dwells u u, Figs. 2 and 4, in the cams, and then withdraw from the recesses and leave the fabric folded thereon, whereupon the person stops and retains the blades in such withdrawn position (shown in Figs.l and 4) by timely disengaging the clutch lJ from the pulley Q by the lever It, and then releases the treadle G, and thereby causes the elevation of the former O with the plaited fabric, which latter is then slid off by hand fromthe former endwise it' a box-plait is made, or sidewise if a plain plait is produced. ln making box-plaits both ot' the blades D D' are used, as shown in Fig. 6; but in producing plain plaits only one of said blades is employed, as represented in Fig. 9.

The mechanism hereinbefore described, and :represented in the accompanying drawings, embraces some parts and combinations of parte roo IOS

IIS

that are similar to some of those embodied'in the mechanism shown and described in my drawings and specification ot' United States Patent No. 199,615, and I do not herein claim any parts or combinations of parts described or shown in said patent. My present invention may he considered in some respects an improvement upon some portion of that patented mechanism, which latter was not capable of producing a box-plaitlike that shown in Fig. 7 nor a plain plait like that represented in Fig. 10.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a plaiting` apparatus, the former C, having the pressingplate b, with opposite bladelike edges, c t', and the tapering opposite recesses,dd',formed by and between said pressing-plate and the overhanging parts e', substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a bed, B, and a t'ormer `having a pressing-plate with a bladelike edge, e, and ataperingrecess,d,of aplaiting-blade, D, all adapted and Varranged together for conjoint action in forming a plait, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the bed B and the former C, having the taperingopposite recesses, d d', and the pressing-plate b, with opposite blade-like edges,c c', of the two opposite plaiting-blades, D D', all adapted and arranged for conjoint action in producing'a box-plait, substantially as described.

4. Thecombination, with bed B and the ledge E along one side of the bed, cfa former having a pressingplate with a blade-like edge, c. and tapering recess d, and the plaiting-blade D,all adapted and arranged for conjoint action in forming a plait, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the bed B and the ledges E E'along opposite sides ofthe bed, of

the former C, having the press-plate b, with opposite blade-like edges, c c', and tapering r( cesses d d', and the opposite plaiting-blades, D D', all adapted and arranged 'orconjoint action in forming boX plais, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the bed B,t`ormer havii'lg a press-plate with a taperingblade-lilre edge, c, `and tapering recess d, and the plaiting-blade D, of meanst'or depressing said former upon and removing it from the bed, substan tiall y as described, and means for inserting said plaiting-blade into and withdrawing it from said tapering recess, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with the bed B, former 8. The combination, With the bed B, former l having the tapering recess d and a press-plate with a blade-like edge, c, and means for de pressing andretaining said former upon and removing it from the bed, substantially as described, of the plaiting-blade D and mechanism for moving the plaiting-blade a certain uniform limited distance to andl fro into and out of said tapering recess in the depressed former, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, with the bed B, former having the tapering recess d and press-plate with blade-like edge e, means for depressing and retaining the former accurately upon and removing it from the bed, plaiting-blade D,

and mechanism for repeatedly movingthe` plaiting-blade a certain uniform limited distance to and fro into and out ot' said recess in the former, substantially as described, of adjusting devices for altering the depth of said uniform to-and-fro movement of the plaitingbladeinto said recess in the former, as set forth.

10. The combination, with the bed B, plaiting-blade D, and means for operating the lat ter, of the former C, hinged arm F, and extension-iingers U, adjustably secured to said arm and former, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 25th day of March, 1882.

GEORGE BOXLEY.

Witnesses:

FRANK B. TWIMNG, J oHN H. BALKEN. 

